The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-11-03
MANY KINDS OF CIDER.
Its Manufacture From the Beginning-Va-
rious improvements in the MACHINERY.


fits Manufacture From the Beginning-va.
rious Improvements in the Machinery.
Cider is truly a family beverage.
There is possibly not farmer in the
whole United States, saws the New
York Mail and ETI,reSs, who has not a
cider-press of some kind, or who does
not take apples to the nearest cider
mill to be transformed into that deli
cious drink. Cider-making, like many
things, has made great progress in the
past few years. The old press with
the heavy beam that had to be hoisted
by block and fall. has given place to
more modern machinery.
The ingenuity of cider-makers and
those interested in cider production
has not been idle, as the records in the
patent office will prove. Not alone in
the appliances Necessary to production,
but in the beverage itself, immense
changes have taken place.
Cider can now be obtained in MANY
farms. There is the mild sweet cider
that carries the memory back to the
old farmhouse with the old fashioned
fireplace and swapping log, the heaps
OF nuts, doughnuts, and rosy checked
apples. and last. but not least, the old
Jug that used to go so often to the
cellar to be filed. Then there is what
is technically called ''hard cider" for
those who like something strong.
There is also champagne cider, which
IS making a strong race with the best
brands of champagne for first place in
popular favor.
Champagne cider comes in two
forms which becomes sparkling
with age, and that which is charged
with carbonic acid gas. The latter
method is in general use among cider
makers. 1t imparts stong eferyes-
cence to the cider, and thereby enables
the producer to sell the goods at q
much less price than he could if they
became sparkling from age. And still
there are a number of cider extracts
made for use in the soda foudtain, or
to be put up by the bottlers of
beverages. These extracts are the
product of long and costly experiments
and they have been brought to a de-
gree of perfection that makes them
just as healthful and pleasant as the
natural juice, Numerous other meth
dds haze been triad with the object
improving cider, the latest being
brought out by Brooklyn man. This
new process, so to speak, ,condenses the
juice and gives to it a strong winey
flavor. Two samples were shown to a
reporter when he called on the manu-
facturer, one made last fall and the
other the year previous. Both tasted
and smelled very much like wine. The
oldest sample was quite strong, and
had a pleasant taste and boquet.
When asked if he intended to patent
the process and put the article on the
market, the gentleman saidthat topatent
the process would be to ruin it, as the
publication of the details would en-.
able anyone to make the article, and,
consequently, spoil the market for it.
The gentleman is trying 10 make o
combination with some wholesale
house to place the condensed cider"
before the trade.
10 ascertain the prospects for the
present season the reporter called
upon prominent firm in the cider
trade. What are the predictions for
a good supply of cider this fall?"> said
the reporter to the head of the firm.
well, said the gentleman, 'they
are pretty far. Not, of course, so
favorable as they might be, but still
we have strong hopes that the season
will be more productive than at first
anticipated. The department of agri-
culture at Washington reports q short
apple crop, and this has led us to be
very conservative in our predictions.
Still, | feel safe in saying that the sup
ply will be pretty good"
rs adulteratiOn practiced to any ex.
tent in cider-making?" asked the re-
porter.
ITO some extent said the gentle
man, laughing. ''This trade is not be-
yond the reach of the adulterator.
There is some artificial cider foated
upon the market each year. Some OF
it is very good imitation. but most OF
it Is vile stuff. so much so that the con-
sumner readily detects its true charact-
er and leaves it severely alone. Some
manufacturers are troubled by their
customers dilutiug the cider, but that
is something we can't guard against.
Like everything else that is good"
continued the gentleman, '.pure apple
cider has been compelled to bear
the odium cast upon other connections
that bear the title of cider, because of
their utter worthlessness. There are
several limitations that are nothing
but combination of health-destroy-
ing chemicals, but not one of them can
come anywhere near the pure juice in
quality or popularity.
This year has seen a number of
improvements" said a manufacturer
of cider making machinery to the re-
porter when he called. ''Fhe trade, !"
continued the gentleman, twas never
in a better position to adopt new in
Yentions than it is to-day. Cider
makers are awakening to the fact that
they must buy better machinery in
order to keep up with the demand for
the beverage"
What part of cider-making machin-
cry has seen the greatest improve
ment?" asked the reporter.
Il think" replied the gentleman,
"that presses have received the great
est amount of attention, but then
there have been brought out a number
of useful devices. among which is a
purifier, Passing tue juice through
this apparatus preserves it and keeps
it sweet and free from fermentation
and sediment. There are several other
very useful inventions that materially
assist the trade in producing pure,
clear, and sparkling cider"
The reporter also learned in his in
vestigations that a western manu-
factrer has introduced, this year. a
steam plant that can be adapted to the
smallest cider mill. 1t is claimed for
this new process that it is cheaper and
produces more cider and apple-butter
to the bushel than any other existing
method.